The paratrooper controls the aircraft model by thought

A quadriplegic woman in the United States can manipulate the F-35 model by thinking, using brain implanted parts.

Jan Scheuermann uses microelectrodes implanted in the brain that controls the model plane. (Photo: UPMC)

Jan Scheuermann, 55, piloted the aircraft model in a US government project, the Department of Advanced Research Projects under the Ministry of Defense (DARPA). She suffered from quadriplegia, from the neck down, because of a rare genetic disease.

"Instead of thinking about controlling the joystick, what pilots do when they drive this vehicle, Jan thinks of direct control of the aircraft," said Arati Prabhakar, director of DARPA. For a non-pilot like Jan, she controls the plane model from brain signals.

In 2012, surgeons implanted electrodes into Scheuermann's brain to control her robotic arm. The technology used to drive the F-35 also uses the same microelectrode array to connect brain cells to electronic circuits.

"This is a great flight control experience and I am very happy to have done so." This research has made my life richer, bringing new friends, giving me a small contribution. and surprised me, "Scheuermann said.

The researchers hope the F-35 simulation could help patients access this technology through the prosthetic leg.